Merge With Caution Redux
by dysfnctnly-sane
Summary: What would happen if, instead of Myka pining over her high school crush, H.G. Wells showed up to take her mind off things?
1. Chapter 1

**I loved the body swap episode (2x08), but didn't really care for Kurt Smoller. I understand the high school crush aspect, but he is not someone I think Myka would be interested in as an adult. This picks up at the end of the conversation between Myka and Kurt at the bar and veers off from there. The body swap still happens, but kind of skips over it. The case, and how they reversed the switch, stays the same. This is more before and after the switch.**

****Disclaimer:** I do not own Warehouse 13 or any of the related characters. You know, in case you thought I did. Which I don't. Obvs.**

* * *

><p>"Well, maybe we should catch up sometime," you chuckle.<p>

"Yeah, well, you want to join us for a drink?" Kurt asks giving you a charming smile. "I mean, you remember the guys- Royboy and Gabers and Phil."

"Yeah, I-I remember them," you answers, a fake smile plastered on your face. You do, in fact, remember them. You remember them being complete assholes in high school who wouldn't give you the time of day. "Maybe later," you say. You do consider it, if it was just him and not his group of friends. Kurt was actually pretty nice to you in high school. You weren't _friends _per se, but he wasn't like the other guys he hung out with. You don't think that he's someone you would actually date, but it would be nice to catch up.

"Maybe later," he says back dejectedly. You watch as he backs away before turning to rejoin his group.

"Hey, I'll have another one," you say to the bartender as you turn back towards the bar. You sit there staring at the bar, and then at the drink that the bartender slides in front of you. You take a sip, then absentmindedly swirl the straw in the glass. _Why did I let Pete talk me into coming back here?_ you ask yourself. _It's just like high school._ You sit there, by yourself, sipping your drink ignoring your surroundings hoping to forget where you are. You are so unaware of what's going on around you that you almost jump out of your skin when you hear a voice right next to you.

"Is this seat taken?" you hear a very familiar English accented voice ask.

You turn to look at the person the voice belongs to, a mixture of confusion and shock apparent on your face, along with a tiny bit of excitement. That last bit is probably what causes the confusion. After an absurdly long pause, along with an arched eyebrow and smirk from the woman next to you, you nod your consent. "Go ahead."

"Thank you," H.G. says and as she gracefully slides onto the barstool next to yours. "A scotch, please," she asks of the bartender.

"So, H.G," you say turning your body towards her. "What brings you to Colorado Springs? There are no artifacts here. That I'm aware of at least."

"Your presence here is not enough of a reason?" she replies smoothly. "You should think more highly of yourself, Agent Bering." She takes a drink of her scotch, sighing slightly as she places the glass back on the bar top. "And please, call me Helena."

"Okay, Helena," you smile back. You take another sip of your vodka tonic, watching her over the rim of your glass. "You know," you say as you rest your glass on the bar, "most women don't enjoy being stalked."

"Is that so?" she smirks back at you. "Well, I do apologize, but it is the only means I have available to me at the moment." You raise an inquiring eyebrow at her. "I can only assume what would happen to me if I were to show up in that quaint little town you call home, and you didn't give me your number."

"Right," you nod. She'd be back in the Bronze Sector faster than you could blink. You really don't want that to happen. "That probably wouldn't be the best idea. You didn't really give me a chance to give you my number, though did you?" You return her smirk with one of your own taking another sip of your drink. "Really, though, why are you here? There is no case for you to help me on to prove your worth as an agent. I'm not here for the Warehouse."

"As I said, Agent Bering," she says reaching her hand over to caress your arm which you have resting on the bar. "I am here to see you. No other reason than that."

You inhale deeply, looking her over. She's looking back at you, her expression appears to be honest, and her smile is definitely charming. You finish your drink with one last gulp, then place the glass back on the bar, pushing it away from you. You wave the bartender over, quickly sign the bill that he's brought over as you rise from your seat. You start heading towards the lobby, turning to glance back at her over your shoulder. "Are you coming?" you ask in what you hope is an enticing manner.

You see her smirk, tossing a few bills onto the bar as she moves to follow you. She catches up to you as you reach the elevators. You hope the nervousness that you are feeling doesn't show on your face. You don't usually do this. Invite a near stranger up to your hotel room. You have never been this impulsive, but the look on her face, the charming lilt to her words, the way she looks at you, it makes you want to be impulsive. She makes you want things, makes you feel things, which you've never experienced before. It feels rather exciting, as well as slightly terrifying.

You both step into the elevator, you push the button for your floor. You glance over at her as she leans against the far wall opposite where you stand. You can't help but think she looks dashing. The antique look to her attire, the loose fitting men's button down dress shirt that isn't quite buttoned all the way, tight black trousers, not to mention the coat straight out of the eighteen-nineties ruffled coattails and all, it is all very, _very_ appealing. She keeps her distance though, allowing you much needed space as the lift slowly ascends to your floor.


	2. Chapter 2

She remains a few feet behind you the whole way to your room, keeping her distance as you slip the keycard into the lock. Your trembling hands cause the reader to blink in error a few times before the lock disengages. You push the door open, smiling timidly at her as you gesture her inside. You follow behind her, tossing your purse onto the sofa that takes up the main room of your suite. You stand awkwardly in the center of the room, unsure of what do to next until she finally steps into your personal space. She reaches for your hands, taking them gently in her own. She brings them up to her mouth, pressing a kiss to each one.

"That man from the bar," Helena says quietly as she looks up into your eyes. "I don't wish to step on any toes."

"Who? Kurt?" you ask with a small chuckle. "He is just a guy I knew in high school."

"No one special, then?" she asks. The hopeful look on her face melts your insides making you reach up and tenderly rest the palm of your hand on her cheek. You shake your head in the negative. "What about Agent Lattimer?"

"Pete?" you outright laugh at that question. "No, Pete and I are not…there are no toes to be stepped on."

"Good," she breathes rising up the few inches it takes to meet your lips. You sigh into the kiss, a small moan escaping as you feel one of her hands threading through your curls.

This kiss is unlike any kiss you have ever taken part in before. It is passionate yet tender, soft and pleading, and hotter than anything you've ever experienced. Your hands move down, resting on her hips beneath her coat as her hands cup your face. You slowly break apart, she doesn't move far though, hovering only a few inches away. You smile as you realize her breathing is just as labored as yours, astounded that you made her that way. You nervously bite your lip when her hand slides down from your cheek to your shoulder. She lightly pushes the strap of your dress off your shoulder, leaning in to press a kiss to that spot. You can tell that she's holding back, not wanting to push you any farther than you're ready, or willing, to go.

When she pulls back again, you release your hold on her hips to slide your hands up her torso, keeping them underneath her coat. You slip the coat off her shoulders, licking your lips as she lets it fall to the floor. Your fingertips then trail to the top button of her shirt. Instead of undoing the button, you just lightly stroke it with your fingertip, smirking when she releases a shaky breath.

"Agent Bering," she whispers as she closes her eyes.

"Please, call me Myka," you reply closing the gap between you again. You capture her lips in a heated kiss, slowly releasing the buttons down the front of her shirt. Your hands move to her stomach, lightly caressing her skin there once the last button is open. She quickly rids herself of her shirt, tossing it away before pulling you against her. You start pushing her backwards, guiding her towards the bedroom. Her hands don't leave your body until the backs of her legs hit the bed and she topples back on to the mattress.

She lays back looking up at you; her breath shallow, her eyes dilated, her lips swollen from your kisses. You stand there, gazing down at this beautiful woman spread out before you and you can't help but say a silent prayer in gratitude to whatever gods there may be that made this possible. She rises up on to her elbows to keep her eyes on you as you kneel on the floor at her feet. You remove her boots and socks, turning to place them on the floor by the corner of the bed. With your back turned, you take a deep breath summoning whatever courage you have before turning back to her. When you turn back around she's sitting up with her legs hanging over the edge of the bed, her feet barely touching the carpet. The look on her face tells you that she senses your nervousness.

You stand back up, moving to stand in front of her. Once you're within her reach, she grasps you at the hips, pulling you to stand between her spread legs. You take a deep breath, exhaling shakily as she looks up at you, her hands gently caressing your hips.

"We don't have to do this, Myka," Helena whispers. You can tell by her earnest expression, that even though she very much wants to continue, she would stop immediately if you said to. She wants you to be comfortable. You take another breath as you bring your hand up to cup her cheek. You lightly stroke along her jaw looking deep into her dark, soulful eyes as you lean down. Your hand slides into her hair, threading through silky locks as your lips meet in a searing kiss. You feel her hands tightening on your hips.

"I really want to, though," you exhale against her lips. You pull back further so she can look into your eyes. You want her to see just how badly you want this. How badly you want _her_. She looks into your eyes, licking her lips as she does so. She must like whatever she sees, because seconds later she's pulling you back down into a kiss, one of her hands sliding down to the hem of your dress. You reach behind her, quickly releasing the clasp on her bra and slipping the garment down her arms. She lets go of you to toss the garment aside, but before she can resume her hold, you gently press a hand to her chest. "Lie back," you softly command.

She quirks an eyebrow at you as she does what you say. You rest your hands on her stomach, nails lightly scraping across her skin as you draw them down to the waistband of her trousers. She watches you with hooded eyes as you unbutton her trousers and drag down the zipper. She lifts her hips as you hook your fingers in the waistband, allowing you to pull both her pants and underwear off in one swift motion. She scoots back toward the pillows, her eyes never leaving you as she moves.

You stand there, glued to that spot on the floor watching as she lies back on the pillows. She doesn't move as your gaze travels up her body; starting at her feet moving up perfect calves and thighs, taut abdominal muscles, the most perfect breasts you've ever seen, the glorious column of her throat. You feel yourself blushing from your neck down your chest as your eyes meet hers.

"Care to join me?" she asks with a smirk, her eyes dancing in delight.

You slip your heels off, teeth worrying your bottom lip as you contemplate what you're about to do. Closing your eyes, you take one last deep breath attempting to quell the fears and hesitancy in your mind. You open your eyes as you reach behind you to draw the zipper down the back of your dress. The darkening of Helena's eyes and the way she licks her lips before biting down on them pushed away the remnants of fear. You slid the straps off your shoulders, shimmying out of the tight blue dress. You quickly remove you bra and panties.

The look on Helena's face as you climb onto the bed can only be described as predatory. You slowly slink your way up the bed, crawling on top of her. You both moan at the contact as you settle on top of her. Your legs tangle together, as she reaches up drawing you into a deep kiss. You sigh as she licks into your mouth, her hands tangling in your hair. You kiss for long, drawn out minutes before you tentatively bring your hand to rest on her breast. She arches into the contact, encouraging you on. You gently knead her breast, your thumb brushing across her nipple making her gasp.

You don't resist when Helena tries to maneuver you onto your back. You smile up at her, bringing your hand up to her face. She turns to press a kiss to the palm of your hand before leaning down to resume kissing you. She doesn't keep her lips on yours for long though, kissing her way to your chin, across your jaw, then down to your neck. You thread one hand in her hair, the other clutches her hip as she kisses your neck, interspersing kisses with licks and light nips to your skin.

You feel her hand slide down your side and across your hip as her kisses travel down to your chest. She's kissing the tops of your breasts when you feel her hand slipping between your thighs. She slips a single finger through your folds making your hips arch up off the mattress. She slowly explores your folds, spreading your arousal throughout as her mouth envelopes your nipple. You can't contain the moan that escapes your mouth at the feel of her everywhere. She sucks on your nipple, her tongue swirling around it until it's a stiff peak before switching her attention to its twin.

You shift beneath her, slipping your leg between her thighs and pressing up against her core and you hear her, as well as feel her, moan against your breast. The wetness you feel between her legs makes you groan. You direct her mouth back up to yours with the hand still tangled in her hair. You slip your tongue into her mouth, exploring her. She sucks lightly on your tongue as you feel her finger pressing against your entrance. You throw your head back, biting your lip to stifle a moan as she enters you. Your hips arch up into the contact. Her mouth is back on your neck and shoulder, licking, kissing, and biting at your flesh. Your hips rock to meet her thrusts and you bite back another moan as she adds a second finger.

You don't last very long. Your eyes slam shut and your back arches off the bed, your body convulsing, as you come all over her fingers. You feel her shallow breaths against your shoulder as she grinds against your thigh. The hand you still have grasping her hip tightens and you pull her down against you more firmly. Moments later, she lets out a deep, loud moan, her body shaking, and you feel a gush of wetness seeping along your thigh.


	3. Chapter 3

You feel her staring at you so you crack an eye open and glance over at her. She has the most indulgent smile on her face which makes you chuckle. You open your eyes fully, turning your head to look at her. She's propped up on her elbow, her right hand lightly stroking your sternum.

"You're staring," you say as you look towards the ceiling.

"You're beautiful," she responds. You chuckle again at her words. She brings her hand up to your cheek, silently asking you to turn to face her, which you do. "What's the laughter for?"

"I guess I'm not used to people calling me beautiful, is all," you answer honestly. She swipes her thumb across your cheekbone, leaning over and pressing a chaste kiss to your lips.

"You must surround yourself with fools, then darling," she says

She smiles at the blush she elicited. "You know, I didn't really have high hopes for this weekend," you admit.

"Why not?"

"It's my high school reunion," you tell her. You have no idea what's causing you to open up to her like this. Maybe it's the sincere look in her eyes or the way she's caressing your face, or possibly due to the intimacy you and she just shared. Whatever it is, you don't want it to stop. "High school wasn't the best time for me."

"More fools?" she asks with a smile.

"I guess, yeah," you smile back. Your gaze returns to the ceiling as you rest your hands on your stomach. "I can't believe I just had sex with H.G. Wells," you muse.

"Oh, was that what this was about?" she inquires playfully, her hand sliding back down to your abdomen. "Bedding the infamous author?"

"No," you reply with a smirk. "I'd be lying, though, if I said that it wasn't enticing." You roll onto your side, your hand reaching up tucking the silky strands of her hair behind her ear. The tip of your index finger lightly strokes her temple as you continue. "Having the brilliant mind that came up with those worlds that I used to lose myself in, having _her_ in my bed…it's pretty unbelievable." She doesn't blush at your words, like you would be likely to do, but you do feel a shift in the air. You can't quite read the look in her eyes anymore. "I have no idea what's gotten in to me…I don't usually do this sort of thing."

"What sort of thing?"

"Invite near strangers into my bed. I've never…this fast with anyone before."

She leans over, kissing your cheek before sitting up. "Would it break the mood entirely if I had to use the loo?"

"No," you chuckle. "Go ahead. Just hurry back."

You watch as she climbs out of the bed, the sheet that had been covering her from the waist down slipping completely off her as she stands up. Your eyes never leave her, traveling down her toned back, firm ass, and shapely thighs. She smirks at you over her shoulder before slipping into the bathroom and closing the door. Once she out of sight, you drop your head back into your pillow, shaking your head with a sigh.

"Holy shit," you whisper to yourself. "What the hell am I doing?"

You lay there, running scenarios through your mind of what will transpire once she returns, when you feel something pulling inside of you. You gasp, clutching at your chest as a wave of dizziness overwhelms you. When you blink your eyes open, you're standing in the hallway of the bed and breakfast.

"What the hell?" you whisper, turning around as you take in your surroundings. You catch a glimpse of your reflection in pane of glass on a nearby shelf, only it's not you staring back. You blink your eyes and look again and you see the same thing. Pete's reflection is staring back at you. You bring your hand up to your face, Pete's reflection does the same.

Your still staring at yourself, or…at Pete's self, when you feel a phone vibrating in your pocket. You quickly fish it out of your (Pete's) jeans pocket, answering it hesitantly.

"Hello, is this Pete?" you ask as you answer the phone.

"Whoa," you hear your voice on the other end of the line. "Well, I-I'm not sure. I mean, is this, uh, Myka?"

"I don't know. I-I look like Pete, but I don't feel like Pete."

"You feel like me, right? I-I mean, like Myka."

"Pete," you exasperate. "What the hell happened?"

"Uh Jeez, I-I don't know," he answers timidly. "I would say we, uh…switched bodies."

"Pete? Am I you?"

"Oh, yeah, we definitely switched bodies." You know that tone of his, even in your voice, which quickly brings to mind the state you were in before you blinked your eyes open as Pete. The anxiety at finding yourself in Pete's body is quickly replaced by the anxiety, and fear, of Pete finding out what you were doing, and more importantly _who_ you were doing it with. "Holy shit, Mykes. I'm naked…Why am I naked?"

"Shit," you curse under your breath. "Pete, just get dressed and leave the room. Please." You practically beg over the phone. You don't think that his reaction would be as severe as Artie's, but you don't want to find out.

"What's going on, Mykes?" he asks.

"Pete," you start, but before you can say anything else, you hear that lilting English accent on the other end of the line.

"Myka, did you say something?"

"Myka, what the hell?" he asks, not quite angrily, but not exactly calm either.

"Okay, this body switch is obviously artifact related," you say focusing on the lesser problem. "I mean, I saw a flash of the Griffin."

"Me, too," Pete replies. "But are you seriously ignoring the naked fugitive that just exited the bathroom in your hotel suite?"

"Pete, please," you sigh. "Let's fix the more pressing issue first, and then we can talk about-"

"Who's that on the phone?" You hear behind you.

"Pete," you start to say as you turn around.

"Hey, is that Kelly?" Pete asks quickly.

"Myka," you stutter, your eyes widen at the sight of Kelly standing there wearing only Pete's shirt. "I mean, it's my- my partner, Myka. It's the girl." You turn away, talking to Pete again. "Myka, hi, uh, Hmm, yes, I will go to the office to pick up the file."

"Myka," he bites out.

"I'll be there in about three hours, okay? And in the meantime, just don't…just wait for me. Please?"

"Okay," he sighs.

"And put some clothes on."


	4. Chapter 4

You're standing outside the hotel suite you entered with Helena only hours before. You take a deep breath to calm your nerves before knocking on the door. It hurriedly swings open and…_you_ pull you into the room.

"Myka," Pete exasperates as he slams the door behind you. He, thankfully, managed to find a pair of your jeans and a t-shirt and was fully dressed. "I know you said not to say anything, but…"

"Myka," you hear Helena's voice. You turn to find her sitting uneasily on the sofa, dressed in the clothing she had on earlier in the evening.

"You're still here," you say slightly bewildered.

"I was worried," she answers standing. She walks over to you, looking just as puzzled as you feel. "I wanted to assure that you're alright."

"Right," Pete scoffs. You glance over at him and see your own head shaking in disbelief. You also spot a dark bruise on your neck and you pray that Pete hasn't looked in a mirror yet. You look back over at Helena. She's looking back at you with almost the same expression as earlier when you first made it up to your suite. The sincerity in her eyes, the desire to make sure that you're comfortable, that you're alright, it's still there.

You smile bashfully, giving her a shake of your head. "I'm fine," you assure her. "I mean, obviously not entirely fine, but…" You spare a glance over at Pete, and even though it's your own face looking back at you, you can't quite read the expression. "I think it would be for the best if…if you left."

"Are you certain?" she asks earnestly. "Perhaps I could be of some help."

"You probably just want the artifact for yourself," you hear Pete mutter. Helena must have heard him, too. The look on her face hardens as she turns toward him.

"And just what, exactly, would I have need of an artifact that would force me to switch bodies with someone? _Who_ would I _want _to switch bodies with?" she spits out.

"Any one of us to get you back into the Warehouse without anyone knowing it was you," he counters.

"That is absurd," Helena replies shaking her head.

"Hey," you say softly, or at least you attempt to say softly. It comes out gruffer than intended on account of Pete's voice. You place your hand on her arm gently, which feels weird because Pete's hand is so much bigger than yours. "I'm sure," you say. "Thank you, but…Pete and I got this."

"If you're certain?" she reiterates.

"I am," you nod. You bring your hand up to cup her cheek, trying to ignore the weirdness of seeing Pete's hand in place of your own, but she doesn't seem to mind as she leans into the touch. "That was sweet of you…staying to make sure that I'm okay."

"Well, what kind of date would I be if I hadn't," she replies in a whisper. The smirk on her face relieving the tension, if only slightly. She looks for a moment like she's going to kiss you, then thinks better of it choosing instead to gently squeeze your bicep. The gesture eliciting a smile from you. "This smile isn't quite as charming as your own," she says running her fingertips along Pete's jaw. You don't know if it shows up on Pete's cheeks, but you know this is the feeling you get when you're blushing. You bite your lip, ducking your head bashfully as she chuckles lightly. You feel as though you must look ridiculous, your shy/nervous habits emanating from Pete. You're fairly certain that Pete has never blushed due to something a beautiful woman said to him, or ever really. Pete's not the blushing type. "Goodbye, Myka," she breathes.

"Goodbye, Helena," you reply. You turn to watch her as she leaves. Your eyes remain glued to the door long after she's gone.

"Myka," Pete's, or rather your, voice startles you out of your reverie. "I'm not going to be able to concentrate on anything else until you tell me just what the hell is going on here."

"You're smart guy, Pete. You know exactly what was going on." When he doesn't say anything, you elaborate. "She showed up at the bar, we got to talking, then I…I invited her up here. I'm a grown woman, Pete. I can spend the night with whoever I want."

"But Myka, she's pretty much at the top of the Warehouse's most wanted list."

"This had nothing to do with the Warehouse," you defend. "She wasn't here because of the Warehouse, or-or artifacts…"

"Then why was she here?" he asks pointedly.

"For me!" you shout. "She was here for me." You take a deep breath, scrubbing your hand down your face. You look back up at him, so many emotions running through you right now; you have no idea which ones show up on Pete's face. "Can we please just figure out this?" you plead gesturing between you both. "Then maybe I can sort through everything else, because honestly, I have no idea what I'm thinking or-or feeling right now."

"Alright," he sighs in surrender. "Alright, did you bring the Griffin?"

"Yeah," you sigh pulling the artifact out from the bag slung over your shoulder.

"And I'll have you know, I have a _very_ charming smile," he remarks as he sits on the sofa.

"I know you do, Pete," you reply shaking your head with a smile.


	5. Chapter 5

**So, here's the final chapter. As I said in the notes in the first chapter, I'm skipping over the actual case part (where Myka and Pete swap back.) I loved that part of the episode, and don't want to just rehash those scenes. This picks up after they switch back. I hope you all enjoy.**

**Thanks for all the favorites, follows, and reviews.**

* * *

><p>"Now the Griffins are back in their dormant state?" Artie asks via Farnsworth as you and Pete make you way back towards the lobby.<p>

"Yes, the eagle and the lion," you answer.

"And the Myka and the Pete," Pete adds with a smile. You chuckle at him, your smile widening as your gaze catches a glimpse of a certain someone sitting at the bar.

"Hey, um, I, uh I'll be right back," you say to Pete handing him your bags. Relieved that he takes them, you don't dare look over at him as you make your way over to the bar. "Hey," you smile sidling up next to Helena. She was facing away from you, so she didn't see you coming. She jumps, pressing a hand to her chest as she turns to face you.

"Myka," she beams at you. "You startled me."

"I'm sorry," you smile back. "You're still here?" You don't mean for it to, but it comes out as a question. She smiles almost bashfully, ducking her head towards her drink.

"I figured I'd stay nearby," she says in reply, "just in case you needed my help. I'm glad to see you and Pete were able to solve this one."

"Yeah," you breathe out. You duck your head attempting to resume eye contact with her. "Hey," you say getting her to finally look back up at you. "Thank you for…I don't know…for worrying, I guess. And for earlier." She arches a perfectly sculpted brow at that, a smirk on her face. "It was…it was really nice. Until Pete showed up, that is."

"Just nice?" she asks cheekily.

"I haven't had nice in a really long time," you admit softly. "I like nice."

"I doubt it's been as long for you as it has for me," she chuckles.

"I hope to see you again sometime," you say. You cup her cheek, taking a breath as you lean in. You press a quick, chaste kiss to her lips, melting a little when she leans in kissing you again before you can pull away completely.

"Perhaps next time we won't have to be quite so clandestine," she breathes against your lips.

"I would like that," you smile at her as you straighten back up. She rests her hand on your chest, lightly caressing your lapel after she smoothes it down.

"Until next time, Agent Bering."

"Until next time…Helena." She grins at you as you step back. You take one last long look at her before you turn and leave.

You return to where you left Pete at the top of the stairs leading to the lobby and take your bags back from him. Without a word, you turn and make your way toward the exit.

"Are we seriously not going to talk about _that_?" he asks as he catches up to you.

"Pete," you sigh. "I don't really know what to say to you. I barely know what I'm feeling right now."

"Okay, but you obviously like her," Pete pries. You sigh again, shaking your head as you keep walking. "Okay, ignoring the fact that I woke up naked in your body, with an equally naked H.G. Wells in the room."

"Pete," you bite out.

"Also ignoring that hickey you're currently sporting on your neck," he continues. "I wasn't there for any of that. So, for all I know, it could have just been two hot chicks hooking up, nothing more." You feel a blush rising up your neck, and you're seriously considering turning around and punching him in the jaw. "I mean, I know you better than that, but for the sake of argument."

"Where are you going with this, Pete?" you ask if for no other reason than to speed him along.

"I didn't see anything that went on before I wound up here."

"Right."

"But I did see that just now." You stop walking at that, but you don't turn around to face him. He walks around you, turning to look you in the eyes. Your eyes dart away causing him to sigh, but he keeps talking anyway. "You _like_ her. And that's okay…"

"I don't know what I'm feeling, Pete," you say again.

"And that's okay, too. Just…watch your back, okay?"

"You don't trust her." It's not a question. You know that Pete, as well as the rest of the team, except perhaps Claudia, doesn't trust H.G. Claudia wouldn't trust her either if H.G. hadn't saved her life a few weeks prior.

"Doesn't matter if I trust her," he answers anyway. "I trust you. Just be careful."

"I will," you say in reply. "Would I be a terrible partner if I asked you not to mention this to Artie?" you ask after a beat, your voice barely above a whisper.

"It doesn't really have anything to do with the mission, so I guess I can leave it out of my report."

"Thank you," you say in relief. You really don't want another lecture from Artie, especially not regarding your personal life. You know that H.G. is very much linked to the Warehouse. Whether that's good or bad, you _don't_ know. You just know that you do believe her when she told you that she was there for _you_.

"Just-"

"Be careful. I know," you interrupt. "I will. I promise I will look before I leap."

"And next time," he starts side eyeing you as you both continue toward the parking garage. "You will provide me with pictures, because _damn_ that woman is…wow," he whistles waggling his eyebrows at you. You punch him in the shoulder, eliciting a laugh from the man-child you call your partner.

"Grow up, Pete," you chuckle good-naturedly.

"Never."


End file.
